CBR-based Knowledge-focusing for Training in Decisionmaking within Project Management Processes

Abstract. A project manager is expected to have a broad knowledge of his project when making decisions such as work activity formulation, resource allocation, staffing and risk confrontation. Because of the variegated nature of project decisionmaking, the knowledge required must span numerous issues. Thus a primary concern when training novice project managers is for them to learn how to focus knowledge to support decisionmaking. We present a hierarchical networked architecture based upon the PMBOK typology of project knowledge, issues related to project management processes, and paths connecting multiple issues and cases found to impact decisions made in the past. The case- and path-based reasoning structure guides the trainee in searching for relevant issues and cases and interconnections between them, in order to build up a knowledge focus implied by a given decision scenario. The trainee's perspective of the problem can then be compared to that of an experienced project manager.